Oregon State Archives: A 1940 Journey Across Oregon

MITCHELL POINT TUNNEL (watch for traffic signals) 130.3 m. [West of Hwy. 730 Junction], was bored through a cliff overhanging the river. In its 385-foot length are hewn five large arched windows overlooking the Columbia. The great projecting rock through which the bore was made was known among the Indians as the Little Storm King, while the sky sweeping mountain above was called the Great Storm King.

A National Park Service HAER record of the Mitchell Point Tunnel provides the following description of historic infrastructure (Brooks, 1995):

In 1915, John Arthur Elliott designed and engineered one of the most difficult, and beautiful, sections of the Historic Columbia River Highway – Mitchell Point. Because the OWRR&N (Oregon‐Washington Railroad & Navigation Co.) occupied the water‐level route, Elliott built a viaduct and tunneled through Lower Mitchell Point (Mitchell Spur) to achieve the most direct and economical route possible. The new section replaced a tortuous wagon route, and reduced the journey around Mitchell Point by almost three miles.

Mitchell Point Viaduct spanned a natural break in the cliffs of Lower Mitchell. Built entirely of reinforced concrete, the viaduct rested on six sets of columns with footings in a steep talus slope. A series of six 32 foot slab spans carried the viaduct 192 feet to the west portal of the tunnel. From curb‐to‐curb, the roadway measured 20 feet, and paving brick decorated the railing posts. Standifer‐Clarkson, of Portland, completed the viaduct in 1915 at a cost of $9,201.

Mitchell Point Tunnel was 390 feet long, 18 feet wide and 19 feet high at the crown. It was one of the first highway tunnels to use adits, or “windows”, to light the interior and allow views of a scenic landscape. Early motorists stopped their cars inside the “Tunnel of Many Vistas” to gaze out one of the five windows, enjoy the view, or walk a short trail leading from the fifth window.

A 10° curve about halfway through the tunnel allowed motorists a view of the landscape from moving cars. The tunnel cost $16,221, and was completed by Standifer‐Clarkson in 1915.

By 1953, larger vehicles had rendered the tunnel obsolete, while unstable rock had made it dangerous. As a result, the route was relocated to water‐level, the tunnel was filled, and the Mitchell Point section of the Historic Columbia River Highway abandoned. 

In 1966, the widening of Interstate 84 required that the cliff be scaled back. As a result, the tunnel and viaduct were destroyed.

Below, looking west from the "tunnel" across the span once bridged by the viaduct. The old road bed from inside the tunnel is still up there, just the tunnel itself is gone. Photo: April 14, 2014

"I remember going out there several times as a child. We even took a snack out there once and had a 'picnic.' Parked the car just outside the eastern end of the tunnel and walked back to the window." 

Video (By Others...)

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